Concerns arise over warning systems as Boxing Day marks 19 years since 2004 tsunami

The catastrophic event was triggered by a 9.1 to 9.3 magnitude earthquake off northern Sumatra in Indonesia, with the epicentre around 580 kilometres from Phuket.

The tragedy claimed around 5,400 lives and left over 8,000 injured in Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Thousands are still missing.

Scores of homes, hotels, bungalows, shops and restaurants, as well as public utilities were affected, with damages estimated at more than 1 billion baht.

In response to the tragedy, Thailand implemented preventive measures, including the installation of two tsunami detection buoys off Phuket and over 100 warning towers in the six affected provinces.

Officials are required to set off an alarm when there is an earthquake exceeding 7.8 magnitude, which will give people an hour and a half to evacuate to safe zones. The warning towers will also broadcast alerts in Thai, English, German, Chinese and Japanese.

Yet, despite these efforts, concerns arise as many shelters and tsunami warning towers have been neglected during the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting questions about their current operational status.

On July 5-6, 2022, two tsunami buoys failed to function when an earthquake hit India’s Nicobar Islands, some 570 kilometres from Phuket.

Then on April 27 this year, as many as 25 tsunami warning towers sounded alarms, triggering panic among residents. Officials later said no abnormalities were found in the towers, and the alarms are unexplained to this date.

While natural disasters cannot be prevented, ongoing preparedness, well-maintained equipment, effective warning systems and comprehensive evacuation plans are crucial in mitigating the impact of such disasters.